My Only Regret

This Is My Life

Avery’s P.O.V.

“Avery…. Mr Yorkshire is asking for you”, I lifted my head up and saw my colleague Bella standing at the other side of the cubicle. I narrowed my eyes when I saw a pissed-off expression on her face. “Did something happen again?” I asked her while standing on my seat, and she rolled her eyes. “I don’t know… but he is not in a good mood”, she told me in an annoying tone and I just smiled.

“He scolded you once again for nothing, huh?” I asked her in a teasing tone, and she pouted. “This is really not fair. He … he always used me as his punching bag,” she complained while yelling lightly, making me jerk my head lightly with a sigh. “I got it… thanks anyway”. I said to her and then walked towards the room of my manager, Mr Wilson Yorkshire. I have my notepad and my phone in my hand right now. I knocked gently on the door twice before entering the room.

“Hey, Wilson… I heard that you once again fought with Bella,” I greeted him in a teasing tone while going towards the chairs. He was sitting at the top of the table, a clear signal for me to run away, but I couldn’t do that, can I?

He looked up at me with a pout that made me laugh internally. He was a chubby man of short height. His pout always made me think of the swollen face of Poppeye-the sailor man, whenever he gulped down the spinach. “I don’t know, Avery, what I did wrong that all the problems always find their way to me,” he said, throwing a tantrum just like other days while whining like a child. I sighed and took a chair beside the table on the other side.

“Tell me what’s wrong with you today. Who messed with you?” I asked him in a coaxing tone and he grinned this time. “Your father,” he replied immediately in the same tone. I felt like a headache was coming to me. “What did he do now?” I asked him while rubbing my forehead lightly. He grinned widely, and I felt goosebumps all over my body, the clear indication that I had once again thrown myself on my own in the wolf’s den.

“We applied for a big contract at Jewels & Co. a few weeks ago. You know that right?” he asked me while bobbing his head, and I gave him a curt nod. “You also know that Gloria was responsible for that project but she left the job and now they are demanding some more design drafts before finalizing the contract with us”, he continued, but paused while looking at me with puppy eyes. I sighed while looking at him blankly.

I sighed and nodded, indicating that he could go on. He cleared his throat and then stood up from the table. I only followed his movements while tapping my fingers on the table in anticipation, because I clearly knew now what was coming my way. He came near to me and put his round butt on the edge of the table. “Now your father wants me to finish that contract with them, but I have no suitable designer who can finish this work, who can come up with some innovative ideas in this short period of time,” he continued and I pursed my lips into a thin line while stopping the movements of my fingers.

“Please, Avery… please do this for me or else I will be doomed”, he suddenly took my hand in his hands and squeezed my fingers tightly, making me wince in pain. “Wilson…. Are you trying to break my fingers?” I yelled a bit angrily at him while trying to free my fingers from his grip. He immediately released my hand but looked at me expectantly. I immediately held my fingers in the other hand and massaged them to soothe the pain.

“I am sorry,” he apologized while looking into the eyes of that lamb, which was ready to be sacrificed. The only difference was that I was the lamb here, not him. I sighed aloud and looked at him with sympathy this time. “I really don’t want to refuse, but I already have five projects in my hands right now. I can’t take another project, Wilson… this is beyond my limits”, I said to him in an apologetic tone, refusing what he asked me to do.

He didn’t say a word but looked at me with painful eyes as if he was going to cry any time now. “Don’t give me that look”, I pointed my finger towards him with a stern face. He was my manager, but he always acted like a child whom I bullied. His expression started to change, and I groaned aloud.

“I am sorry, Wilson… but”, I paused when tears started building up in his eyes. This was his weapon against me. For Pete’s sake, he was a man and of my father’s age, but he always behaved like that in front of me whenever he needed a favour from me.

“Okay… okay… how many days do I have?” I asked him in a defeated tone this time, and within a split second, all the tears vanished from his eyes. “Two days”, he smiled sheepishly from ear to ear. “What?” I yelled in disbelief and stood up, jumping on my feet.

“They… they sent the email half an hour ago… I .. I swear that they didn’t inform us in advance”, he immediately told me in a very innocent tone while swearing like a child who was caught stealing sweets from the jar. I huffed and looked at him angrily. “Please Avery… please save me or else Mr Hawkins will have my heart as his dinner tonight”, he pleaded again and came a bit closer to me.

I groaned angrily and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “He is my father, Wilson,” I said to him in an angry tone. “I know… I know… but … I don’t know how he has a sweet and understanding daughter like you when he is scarier than a tiger,” Wilson answered me while bobbing his head furiously.

Mr. Marcus Hawkins was the CEO of our company and, of course, my strict father. He was the father that every daughter could wish for, but he was also a very ruthless businessman. “I am sending you everything related to this project”, he told me, and I just nodded. I walked back towards the door but stopped before opening it.

“And Wilson”, I looked back at him, and he looked at me questioningly. “This is the last time that I am taking on a project at the very last moment. I will not accept another project like this even if Mr Hawkins has your heart as his meal”, I said to him in a stern voice and he immediately nodded furiously. “I got this”, he said, and I huffed before opening the door. This was not the first time he got that, and I am sure that he would use the same tactic again in the future whenever he has trouble.

I walked out of his room and stopped in my tracks a little away from his room. I rubbed my temple and screamed silently in my heart. I was the Chief designer of Hawkin’s Jewelleries, a well-known company in this sector in the whole of Columbia. I loved my job but hated the kinds of surprises that Wilson gave me from time to time. It was not like I was not capable of finishing those assignments.

Heck, I love challenges, and Wilson always took advantage of my passion for my work every time. My work was everything to me. It always made me forget everything related to my past. It always makes me tired enough to make me sleep peacefully at night without any nightmares. Nightmares that I desperately wanted to leave me. I was happy in this life and had the freedom that I always desired.

“What did he say to you?” Bella asked me in a teasing tone as soon as I reached my cubicle. I groaned and put my notepad and phone on my desk. “I really hate him,” I muttered, and everyone around me laughed, making me glare at them. Bella shook her head while laughing. “We all hate him, Avery, but it is also a truth that we all love him at the same time,” Bella said while laughing, and I made a face while twitching my lips.

Suddenly the landline on my desk started ringing, making everyone stop laughing immediately. I picked up the call and greeted the person first. “Can you come to my room, love?” he asked me in a loving tone. “Yeah, Dad…. Give me five minutes,” I answered him in a gentle tone, and we both hung up.

“This is going to be one hectic day for you, I guess,” Bella chuckled, and I pursed my lips with a helpless expression on my lips. My father only called me into his room if he had something very important to share or discuss with me. “I guess so,” I answered her after a few seconds, and then I took the notepad once again. I looked at the design that I was making earlier with a sad expression. All the ideas that I had in my mind while drawing had already evaporated from my mind.

I closed the design on my laptop and then walked towards the elevator to go to the next floor to his office. After exiting the elevator, I went straight to his room. “Hey, Ryder,” I greeted my father’s PA in a light tone. “Hey, Avery… how are you?” he asked me immediately in a cheerful tone. “I am good as always,” I answered him in a chirpy voice before knocking on the door of my father’s room.

I heard my father giving me permission to enter. “For how many times do I need to tell you that you don’t need to knock?” he complained as soon as I entered the room. I smiled and closed the door behind me. “Uhhhh… I guess … until I take your chair,” I answered him in a teasing tone while shrinking my nose, and he gave me an angry look. I laughed while sitting on the chair in front of him on the other side of the table.

“Now tell me why did you call me?” I asked him in a gentle tone while putting my notepad on the table. His face immediately went serious, making me raise my brows. “I am going to New York,” he told me, and I balled up my fists immediately while looking at him blakly.